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2017 MAMA was successfully held in 3 regions

The total contents provider, CJ E&M, hosted 'MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards) 2017’ in Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong from November 25 till December 1, and it ended in great success.

Under the theme of ‘Coexistence,’ ‘2017 MAMA’ interacts with various cultures and identifies with music, and is more of a cultural platform which highlights all music experts and artists than a mere awards ceremony. Since 2009, Mnet has invested as much as KRW 50 billion, and capitalizes on all its competencies and technologies to firmly establish itself as Asia’s largest music awards ceremony where Asian music becomes one.

▲ The host of ‘2017 MAMA in Hong Kong’ Song Joong-Ki

During the MAMA Week from ‘2017 MAMA Premiere in Vietnam’ on November 25 (Saturday) through ‘2017 MAMA in Japan’ on November 29 (Wednesday) to ‘2017 MAMA Professional Categories’ on November 30 (Thursday) and ‘2017 MAMA in Hong Kong’ on December 1 (Friday), it is said to have proliferated the ‘MAMA’ brand throughout Asia as well as influencing the coexistence of various cultures, interaction among various regions, and identification with music.

Asian fans from countries, including the host countries, visited the sites to see ‘2017 MAMA’ in person. A total of 34,000 spectators visited the sites: 5,000 in Vietnam, 15,000 in Japan and 14,000 in Hong Kong, which made us realize the popularity of ‘MAMA.’ The fans thoroughly enjoyed the festival, bringing added enthusiasm to the sites.

Also, the red carpet and awards ceremony of ‘2017 MAMA in Japan’ and ‘2017 MAMA in Hong Kong’ were simultaneously broadcasted live through the Mnet channel and the main channels and online platforms of 14 Asian countries, and televised online through Mwave in over 180 countries around the world, and the official number of social media account followers increased by more than 150% over last year, underscoring the high interest of fans around the world.

- Results by region: Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong

▲ A panoramic view of ‘2017 MAMA Premiere in Vietnam’

At ‘2017 MAMA Premiere in Vietnam,’ which was the beginning of this event, 31 teams of Asian artists who stood out this year from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, etc. appeared on the stage of ‘Coexistence.’

In particular, the Best Asian Artist Awards was aired on VCR until last year, but this year, top Asian artists appeared in person to receive the awards, and performed on stage. The exchange between Asia artists was expanded, and various Asian music and cultures were promoted around the world, making the ceremony all the more meaningful. Also, new artists like Wanna One and Samuel had an opportunity to experience the global stage, and induce overseas fandom. In this respect, the event played a positive role.

▲ A panoramic view of ‘2017 MAMA in Japan’

In Japan, which is home to the largest music market in Asia, ‘2017 MAMA’ is reviving a new Hallyu atmosphere. On November 30, the day after the event, ‘2017 MAMA in Japan’ was the hottest search keyword on Twitter and Yahoo Japan, major online media outlets of Japan, sweeping the real-time search top rankings, thus proving the explosive interest of Japanese internet users in ‘MAMA.’ Also, ‘MAMA’ was televised on ‘Mezamashi TV’ a popular program on Fuji TV, one of the leading broadcasting companies in Japan, ensuring the first successful hosting in Japan.

▲ A panoramic view of ‘2017 MAMA in Hong Kong’

In Hong Kong, as part of ‘Coexistence,’ the awards ceremony for music industry officials who contributed technically and artistically to the development of the Asian music industry, ‘2017 MAMA Professional Categories’ were reinforced, and everyone in the Asia music industry, not just artists, were embraced. In light of the diversity of Asian Music Industry experts, awards were given out in a total of 7 categories, i.e., Best Visual & Art Director, Best Choreographer, Best Video Director (new), Best Engineer, Best Composer (new), Best Executive and Best Producer.

Also, the stage of ‘2017 MAMA in Hong Kong’ was prepared so that both reality and virtual reality seemed to coexist, exhibiting the ultimate in splendor, and this was enough to draw out the co-empathy between artists and the audience as a whole. All of the aptitudes, including the production ability and know-how of Mnet, were pooled together on the stage.

- Transforming into an awards ceremony for true ‘coexistence’

▲ ‘MAMA in Japan 2017’ host Park Bo-Gum

‘MAMA,’ which used to be held in only one location in Asia, was expanded to Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong over a period of one week, with the intention of increasing the harmony and interaction in the Asian music market.

A total of 96 teams of artists and celebrities participated in the ceremonies held in 3 regions this year: 38 Asian teams and 58 domestic teams. Asian artists from Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, excluding Korea, accounted for about 40% of all participants. The effort to transform the event into an awards ceremony of ‘coexistence’ spanning the entirety of Asia stood out. Also, top artists from each region gathered together in one place, and gave incredible performances that can be seen only in ‘MAMA,’ and various musicians assembled together to make it into a festival, differentiating it from other awards ceremonies.

▲ The singer of the year award was given to ‘BTS.’

▲ ‘Exo’ received the Album of the Year award.

The event was swarming with reporters as well. Leading media outlets came to the sites to cover the ceremony, including Vietnam’s kenh 14, Tuoi Tre, Thanh Bien, Zing Need and Vietnamnet, and Japan’s AP, Fuji TV, Sky Perfect, Jiji Press, Weekly Asahi, Kodansha and Haru Hana, and Hong Kong’s AP, BBC Chinese, SCMP, Reuters, Apple Daily, HK01, Mingpao, Oriental Daily, Sina, Sing Pao, Sing Tao and Viu TV. More than 130 media representatives participated. The presence of foreign media was enough to make us realize the status of ‘MAMA’ in Asia. Foreign media reps said they could sense the power of ‘2017 MAMA’ once again.

Various technologies were also utilized to set the stage this year, and the creative and elaborate performances occupying the 3 regions captivated the eyes and ears of global viewers who have been waiting for the Asian music festival. ‘MAMA’ served as the catalyst for Hallyu and introduced Asian music, allowing for people from different regions to fully enjoy the experience. Thanks to the venue of ‘coexistence’, people all over the world were able to connect with each other, transcending nationalities, races and generations.

▲ ‘Twice’ received the song of the year award.

‘MAMA,’ which celebrates its 9th anniversary this year, is the iconic music awards ceremony in Asia, hosted by No.1 total contents provider, CJ E&M. Starting with the ‘Mnet Video Music Awards’ in 1999, it has continued to evolve alongside the growth of the Korean music industry, and it was subsequently held in Korea for 10 years, transforming into ‘MAMA’ in 2009.

In 2010, it went global starting with Macau, then heading to Singapore in 2011, and Hong Kong from 2012 to 2016, no longer seemingly like a mere year-end music awards ceremony anymore. It transformed itself into the largest music festival enjoyed by people around the world, a global channel of communication, and a venue for the expansion of Asian popular music. Mnet is planning to effectively carry out its role as cultural contents representing Asia.